


Light Yagami and The Night The Task Force Decided To Take a Break

by StrawberrySpring



Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alcohol, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-10
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2019-01-31 13:29:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12682896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrawberrySpring/pseuds/StrawberrySpring
Summary: Written for Secret Shinigami Exchange 2k17.Prompt by rin-amazing: L, Light and the task force go to a bar and shenanigans ensue. Matsuda gets too drunk; Mogi and Aizawa pick a fight with one another (playful) while Soichiro referees/tries to make them play fair; L and Light spar intellectually over some bourbon and L is a lightweight and needs help from Light getting back to the car.





	Light Yagami and The Night The Task Force Decided To Take a Break

‘Ryuzaki, you can’t come like this!’ Matsuda cried, as Ryuzaki stepped outside the Task Headquarters wearing his usual white shirt and blue jeans. ‘You look the same as usual!’

‘And why is that such a problem, Matsuda?’ L raised an eyebrow at him. Light could already tell L was determined to be sulky tonight.

‘No, I mean’, Matsuda sputtered, ‘I just- you know, all of us made an effort, look at me, I’m wearing my best jacket!’

‘He just wants us to have a good time’, Light interjected before L could give his opinion about Matsuda’s jacket.

‘And since when did ridding the world of a serial killer not count as a “good time”?’ L muttered, walking towards the limo where Watari was holding the door to the backseat open. Light followed him, just as Matsuda was pulled into Aizawa’s car by Mogi. He could see his father sitting in the passenger seat beside Aizawa, looking slightly worried.

‘Where are we going anyway?’ Light asked curiously, once they were inside the limo.

‘Bar Stock Exchange.’

‘Hmm, fancy.’

‘Since my task force decided to bully me into letting them waste their time and energy drinking at a bar, it is only fair that I get to pick the place.’

Light rolled his eyes. ‘Okay Ryuzaki, first of all, nobody “bullied” you. It’s impossible to bully you. Second, it’s not a waste of time and energy, everyone in the task force needs cheering up desperately, don’t pretend like you don’t see it. We haven’t had any new leads, or evidence and everyone’s losing their morale. This is actually not a bad idea, even if it was Matsuda who came up with it.’

There was a pause.

‘Light-kun bullied me into wearing shoes earlier’, L grumbled. Light merely sighed. 

It had seemed like a typical day at the Headquarters. There was hardly any activity, and the air seemed desolate and dull. L himself had sat in front of the computers, sulking, not even looking at the case files anymore, while others pretended to read, although almost everyone looked like they were either tired or day-dreaming.

But it was when L pushed away his strawberry shortcake after just one bite that Light felt like he had to do something. He cleared his throat; everyone turned to look at him.

‘I think we all need a break’, Light spoke. After a day of silence, his voice hung oddly in the air and felt almost too loud. ‘Maybe we should take a day off?’

‘And let Kira make a mockery of justice and take over the world?’ L drawled.

‘Don’t be dramatic, Ryuzaki. One day won’t really make a difference.’

‘That does sound like a good idea’, Matsuda piped.

‘Yes that sounds like an amazing idea’, L said, flatly, ‘if you are Kira. Are you Kira, Matsuda?’

‘N-no, obviously not!’

‘I agree with Light and Matsuda, we deserve a break’, Aizawa joined in, stretching. Mogi nodded enthusiastically.

To Light’s surprise, L, instead of shutting everyone down immediately, turned to his father. ‘And what do you think, Mr. Yagami?’

His dad rubbed his eyes tiredly and looked around. ‘I think we do need a break, Ryuzaki. God knows how hard we’ve been working even if there haven’t been any substantial results.’

L stayed silent, even as everyone looked at him expectantly. Then he opened his mouth. ‘You do leave early on Sundays.’

Everyone immediately started yelling in protest. But before Light could say anything, a firm voice drowned out everyone else’s.

‘I think we are all entitled to a day’s break, L’, Watari spoke, looking at L pointedly. L stared back stonily, before finally giving in.

‘Fine’, he muttered.

‘Yay!’ Matsuda exclaimed loudly, making everyone in the vicinity wince. He didn’t seem to notice. ‘Why don’t we all go celebrate at Matsui’s tonight? First round of drinks on me!’

‘Celebrate what, exactly?’ L said, even as everyone around him hummed in agreement with Matsuda.

‘I don’t know, the day off?’ Matsuda chuckled weakly. Matsuda acted like a fool around everyone, but L’s presence in the room made it even worse.

‘I don’t know Matsuda, I’d prefer going to my house and go to bed early for once’, Soichiro said.

‘But Chief! We all need the cheer! And besides, outings like these are what makes a team stronger’ - everyone groaned collectively – ‘no really, guys! C’mon! Are we even friends if we haven’t exchanged stories over a few pints of beer?’

‘We are not friends, Matsuda’, Aizawa commented. Matsuda looked genuinely hurt. He looked at Light beseechingly.

It had been ages since Light had gone out with friends. In fact, Light couldn’t remember the last time he had gone out with anyone, except a couple of dates with the girls around him. But there was someone he desperately wanted to hang out with at a bar, purely to see how he would behave in an environment that was (Light guessed) completely out of his comfort zone. Maybe he’d even get drunk and spill something around Light.

‘I’ll join you, Matsuda. To be honest, I think everyone should, we don’t really get any opportunities to hang out with each other outside this building’. Not like he’d ever wanted to before.

Matsuda beamed at him. He could already see Mogi make up his mind. If Mogi came, Aizawa would, even if he complained the whole way. If these three went, his father would certainly join, even if just as a courtesy. That left –

‘Ryuzaki, you should come too’, Light said lightly. L turned to look at him incredulously.

‘Yeah L! Come with us!’ Light could almost see Matsuda’s tail wagging.

‘Absolutely not.’

‘You need a break too, Ryuzaki.’ Although his face remained impassive as usual, Light knew that L was trying to figure out Light’s motive for inviting him. This guy really did need a break.

‘Fine, let’s meet downstairs in half an hour, in case any of you need to freshen up’, L said reluctantly. Light had a hunch he’d only agreed so he could figure out Light’s “motives”.

And that’s how they all ended up at BSE, a well-lit, crowded place full of salarymen and great beer. The place was buzzing with life and energy; Light wondered why L had chosen the place specifically.

‘Let’s do shots guys!’ Matsuda looked beside himself at having managed to drag all of them to the bar.

‘I think I’ll stick to beer’, Soichiro said.

‘I am in’, Mogi grinned.

‘Really, Mogi?’ Aizawa looked surprised. ‘Fine, I’m in too.’

‘Light, L? You’ll do shots right?’

‘I don’t drink, Matsuda’, Light replied, well aware of his father’s presence.

Matsuda looked disappointed but quickly got over it. ‘L? What about you? Er, you are above 18, right?’ Matsuda added nervously. L’s expression soured even as everyone around him sniggered.

‘My age is a matter of national security, Matsuda, and yes, I can drink legally. And no, I will not do shots’, L scowled. He looked totally out of his element. This was already turning out to be a great night.

Matsuda, Aizawa and Mogi did their shots while Soichiro sipped his beer, talking to Watari, who had chosen to remain sober in case of any emergencies. L sulked for the first half an hour but when nobody paid him any attention, he resorted to annoying Light, claiming that the only reason Light had agreed to the plan was to get L drunk enough to reveal his name.

‘Oh, stop. My life, unlike you, doesn’t revolve around the Kira investigation. I am capable of thinking outside the confines of the Kira case files’, Light snapped at him. L narrowed his eyes at him.

‘Not all of us have the luxury of distracting ourselves with alcohol and crowded bars while the fate of the world lies in our hands, Light-kun’, L replied, disdain clear in his voice. Before Light could say something, Matsuda yelled at them.

‘There these two go again! No sorry- there two go again! No- wait, there goes these two!’ Matsuda shouted triumphantly. Aizawa and Mogi laughed. Clearly, Matsuda had had too much to drink.

‘Why are you two always fighting!? You are so similar!’ Matsuda continued, draped halfway across the table, emboldened by the cheers he received from Mogi and Aizawa.

‘Sit down, Matsuda’, Soichiro said, not unkindly, though he genuinely seemed disturbed by the comparison between his son and L.

An hour and a half later, they were singing. ‘They’ included Matsuda and Mogi, while Aizawa swayed slightly in his seat. Even Soichiro hummed along when an old nineties song started playing in the background. Meanwhile, L and Light had exhausted all the insults, and were currently trading opinions on Misa’s latest interview.

‘You read it?’ Light asked incredulously, as L finished his second drink.

‘Of course, it’s vital for the investigation’, L replied. Light almost snorted.

‘I assure you, it is, Light. However, all it did was confound me as to how someone so stupid could be one of the Kiras.’

‘Probably because she’s not? God, L’, Light rolled his eyes. ‘I think it was better than the last one she gave. More professional, less talk about Kira and what a great job he is doing.’

‘Light-kun doesn’t feel flattered?’ L tilted his head sideways to stare at Light in his usual obnoxious way.

‘Shut up, Ryuzaki. Besides, it’s Misa. Even if I was Kira –‘

‘Aha!’

‘- if, I said, IF. Anyway, it’s just Misa.’

‘Misa Amane is a very attractive and successful model and yet Light-kun thinks of her as “just Misa”?’

‘Oh shut it, Ryuzaki. She might be attractive but that alone doesn’t make for a good partner.’

‘So what does Light-kun prefer? More brains? Someone more like Kiyomi?’

‘Nah, it’s more like…’ Light had no idea why he was talking about this. Maybe this had been L’s plan all along. Lure Light into the conversation by pretending to be tipsy and make him spill his secrets. Maybe it was just the atmosphere in the bar. Now that it was past 11, the bar was a little less crowded, it being a weekday, and the conversations quieter. Their table was probably the loudest, thanks to Matsuda’s frequent exclamations and Aizawa swearing in between for reasons unknown. Light had no idea what they were talking about, and couldn’t care less.

‘…Kiyomi – is smarter, yeah but I’d prefer someone-’

‘-someone like you, Ryuzaki! He means YOU!’ Matsuda had somehow managed to keep up with their conversation and decided to butt in. Alcohol truly did beautiful things to one’s confidence. His cheeks were flushed and there was no trace of the usual nervousness that he always had around L.

‘Oh shut it, Matsuda! Come here and answer our question!’ Aizawa yelled at him. His words were slurred; that’s when Light realized that both Aizawa and Mogi had quite a number of empty glasses in front of them. 

‘What’s the question?’ L’s enquired. For some reason, he sounded louder to Light than he had before.

‘Who would win in a fight – Mogi or me?’

‘Don’t force me to answer guys, I’m going to get beaten up for this’, Matsuda said pleadingly.

‘You made the rules, Matsuda! This game was your idea!’

‘It’s only fair, Matsuda’, Soichiro joined in. With a jolt of realization, Light realized his father looked a bit tipsy too. He also looked calmer and more carefree than he had seen him in days.

‘Just answer, Matsuda’, Mogi spoke encouragingly, though Light wasn’t so sure if the flexing of his impressive biceps was to demonstrate his strength or to threaten Matsuda.

‘Okay, okay, if I had to choose’, Matsuda looked around nervously, waiting for someone to save him. Nobody did. ‘Okay, Mogi’, he mumbled.

‘What?!’ Aizawa exclaimed as Mogi thumped Matsuda so hard on the back in appreciation that his face almost got bashed against the table. ‘No way!’

‘I agree’, L spoke up unexpectedly.

‘No way!’ Aizawa yelled indignantly. ‘Okay you guys are all stupid and wrong and I’m going to prove it to you. I’m going to prove you wrong, Ryuzaki!’ Aizawa turned to look at Mogi, square in the face. ‘Arm-wrestling match, right here!’

Mogi looked back with grim determination, the effect slightly spoiled by his flushed face. ‘Okay, I can’t really argue with you if you want to lose so bad, but only if Chief agrees to be the referee.’

‘I am in’, Soichiro agreed before anyone could ask. Light prepared himself cheering for Aizawa, solely because he couldn’t stand to be on the same side as L.

‘Alright you two, on my whistle-’

‘Dad, you don’t have a whistle.’

‘-don’t interrupt me, Light.’ L sniggered. Light found he was more distracted by the sound than offended.

‘Okay, since I don’t have a whistle, as my prodigal son pointed out’, (this time, L snorted so loud, it sent Matsuda into a fit of giggles), ‘on my count of three! One, two – Aizawa, no! That’s cheating!’

Aizawa was clearly taking the game more seriously than everyone thought, and had almost pressed Mogi’s hand flat to the table when Mogi came around and managed to bring their joined hands to the centre.

‘Yes, go Mogi! Go!’ Matsuda was cheering loudly behind Mogi. Soichiro was closely watching the two for any signs of cheating. Watari was the quietest but looked like he was enjoying this far more than he was letting on. L was staring at Mogi’s biceps. Light bristled.

‘Go Aizawa!’ Light yelled, just as Aizawa’s hand touched the table.

‘And Mogi is the winner!’ Soichiro lifted up Mogi’s hand in victory. Aizawa looked crushed.

‘What will I tell my daughter now?’ he said, looking horrified. Light realized nearly everyone had too much to drink.

‘If it’s any consolation, Aizawa, you lost to a very strong man’, L supplied. Mogi beamed at him. Light counted his drinks. Four drinks down. If he leaned a bit closer, he could see just the faintest hint of a flush on his pale, pale face.

He reasoned it was because of the drinks and not stupid, strong Mogi.

‘Now now, don’t be sad, Aizawa! You are a very good father, your daughter loves you no matter how many people you lose to in arm-wrestling!’ Matsuda supplied helpfully.

‘You think?’ Aizawa genuinely looked touched.

‘Yes! All of you! ALL OF YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOVED! AND CHERISHED! Chief, you are like a dad to me! Like a work-dad but a dad nevertheless!’ Soichiro looked rather uncomfortable but Matsuda was too drunk to notice. ‘And Aizawa, you are like an elder brother! That brother who is hard on you at times but ultimately cares!’ Aizawa looked like he was about to cry. Drunk Aizawa was very emotional, Light had come to realize. ‘Mogi, you don’t say much but your presence is so calming, so warm, you give me confidence! Just like this alcohol!’ Mogi beamed proudly at Matsuda. ‘And Watari, one day I’ll bring myself to forgive you for giving Chief three scoops of ice cream and only two to us, but today is not the day!’ Watari’s moustache failed to hide his silent laughter at this. ‘Light’, Light prepared himself, ‘you are so- you are so- you are so fucking smart and I- I just- Chief deserves a son like you, Light, and I would never believe that you are Kira, because I know you would never do this to your father!’

A slightly awkward silence followed Matsuda’s declaration. Light could feel L watching. He smiled at Matsuda. ‘I think we have all had enough to drink, haven’t we?’

‘No- wait! L! I didn’t do L!’ Matsuda cried. Oh well, Light wasn’t going to lie; he was curious.

‘L you are –I, I want to say – L, you are –’

‘I am what, Matsuda?’ L said impatiently.

‘L YOU HAVE THE BIGGEST DICK!’ Matsuda yelled.

Everything in Light’s brain screeched to a halt as everyone on the table processed the statement in absolute silence. Then everyone who wasn’t Matsuda or L, broke into raucous laughter. Matsuda had a bemused smile on his face as he looked around at them.

‘So you all agree?’

‘Agree on what, Matsuda?’ Aizawa asked, in the middle of wiping his tears.

‘That L’s the world’s biggest dick!’

‘That’s not what you said’, Light giggled (oh god, this was all getting to him, he was giggling). ‘You said L has the biggest dick.’

‘What?!’ Matsuda’s smile vanished, leaving behind a face that defined horror. There was another outbreak of giggles and laughter. ‘No! L, that’s not what I meant! I meant you are a dick! Oh god, this isn’t helping, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I mean I don’t know, I’m sure it’s impressive but –’

‘Okay I think it’s time to leave, everyone’. Light could only tolerate so much conversation about L’s dick.

‘Hmm, it’s quite average, actually’, L supplied thoughtfully. Light had had enough.

‘Really? Like length-wise or-?’

‘I would say maybe a bit above average if you consider the –’

‘Okay, gentlemen, it’s time to leave. Sorry Light, as you can see, we’re all a bit – under the influence.’

‘It’s alright, Dad.’ Average length and – shit, he had to stop.

Sliding the chairs back noisily, the seven of them got to their feet. Outside, Mogi had sobered up a little and provided the shoulder that Matsuda so desperately needed. Aizawa seemed fine on his own, though he was clutching the tail of Mogi’s coat like a child. Watari was calling a cab for the others, as Soichiro called home to tell Sachiko he will be staying back at the Headquarters. It was incredibly late and Light’s house was far, far away from the bar. 

Light felt a gentle tug on his sleeve and turned around to see L standing behind him, looking rather clueless. It was a new expression on him, and Light liked it better than the clearly exaggerated, blank face L would sometimes pull at him.

‘You need help, L?’ he asked, smirking.

L nodded at him, clearly trying his best to look composed. ‘I just need – a bit of assistance.’

Light, still smirking, put his hand around his shoulder and walked him to the limo. The others were still waiting for the cabs to come, and it seemed like Matsuda had finally emptied the contents of his stomach in the trash cans beside the gate. Mogi was holding him from the back, and Soichiro was fetching him a water bottle.

‘We are quite similar, aren’t we, Light?’

Light stilled. L was drunk, clearly.

‘In another universe, Light Yagami, we would have been friends.’ L was smiling at him; a real, genuine, smile, like he was really amused by the thought. Light couldn’t bring himself to return it.

‘We are friends, L’, he managed to say. In the background, he could hear Matsuda retching and Aizawa consoling him.

L looked at him for a moment, smile disappearing.

‘Let’s just call it a night, shall we, Light-kun?’

Light didn’t find it in himself to disagree.

**Author's Note:**

> I realize the ending might seem a bit abrupt but I truly couldn’t think of anything I could have added without ruining the whole moment thing I attempted to create?? Anyway, I hope it wasn’t too bad <3 Leave feedback please, if you like it!


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